Cable splitter



I H. W. KLINGER CABLE SPLITTER Dec. 17, 1929.

Filed Oct. 25. 1928 Patented Dec. 17, 1929 PATENT orrlcs HABBY W; KLINGEB, OF SUNB'URY, PENNSYLVANIA CABLE SPLITTER Application filed October 25, 1928. Serial No. 315,044.

covering can be cut away or opened out to' permit the insertion of bare wire into place or permit splicing of the wire in its connection to electrical devices. Electrical workers perform this slitting operation with a pocket knife and are very liable to cut themselves in doing so. It is difiicult to hold the knife firmly in place upon the round cable which is likely to turn when pressure is brought upon the knife and it is difiicult to cause the knife to cut through the center of the cable and thus cut thr ,ugh to the wires.

The general 0 ject of the present invention is to provide a cable slitting or splitting de- 30 vice which is very handy, which is very simple, and which while particularly designed for use on nonmetallic sheathed cable is also designed to be used for lead sheathed cable.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which has the form of an open sided or partial tube which will embrace the cable and which is formed with a splitting knife at one end which is removable so thatthe knife may be taken out for grinding or replacement.

A further object is to so form this open tube or channel which constitutes the handle of the device that the wire cable may be bent over the end of the device and drawn longitudinally while being held down to the knife by the thumb to thus split the cable, the construction being such that the knife can by no possibility injure the thumb of the workman.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of my cable slitting tool;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fi ure 2;

igure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the knife blade.

Referring to these drawings 10 designates the shank or handle of the device which is approximately six inches long and which is formed to provide a hollow curved channel 11. This channel is deflected downward at 12 and is longitudinally split at this end as at 13. This split end of the shank or handle is formed with the lug 14 into which the split 13 extends, this lug receiving the knife 15, the knife having preferably an approximateno 1% triangular portion projecting into the c annel, the edge of the knife being sharpened as at 16.

The knife is held in place by a screw 17 which binds against the knife. In the use of this device, the cable is held in the left hand and the cutting instrument in the right hand. The cable is then inserted in the channel which is easiest accomplished by inserting the cable edgewise and turning the splitter until the cable lies fiat in the channel. The splitting device will then be below the cable. Place the thumb on the cable directly above the cuttingknife and at the same time draw the large portion of the cable downward against the cutting knife and over the. curved portion 12 by means of the left hand, the thumb of the right hand'forcing the cable downward into the groove or channel and against the knife. The knife is thus forced up into the cable through the middle thereof and the cable is drawn along the knife and longitudinally split. Of course, instead of drawing the cable by the left hand the split ting device may be drawn toward the right by the right hand. There is no possible danger of cutting the thumb under these circumstances. The thumb and knife keep at all times their relative positions and furthermore the thumb of the operator cannot get down into the channel far enough so that it can be cut by the knife. This splitter can also be used for splitting lead cable in the same manner. 9

Preferably the splitting device, except the knife blade itself, is cast in one piece. The i knife blade is removable for sharpening or replacing. However, it may be said that experience has proven that the knife blade may 2 be used for a long time without the necessity of sharpening or replacing.

It is obvious that the device may be made in different sizes for difierent sized cable, though it is commonly used for the splitting or slltting of non-metallic wire cable which is used almost entirely for house wiring.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 2- A tool for splitting wire cable comprising a channeled shank adapted to receive the cable, a removable knife disposed in the open end of the shank and projecting upward into the channel, this end of the channel being curved or deflected out of the plane of the body of the shank.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

HARRY KLINGER. 

